Stunning Game of Thrones Prop Replicas From Valyrian Steel [GenCon]

These beautiful Game of Thrones prop replicas from Valyrian Steel were on display at GenCon this weekend, but don’t worry, you can have them for yourself even if you didn’t make the convention.

It’s easy enough to see how they make replicas of weapons that exist as props, but the ones they make that haven’t been seen on the show have an even more interesting story. They start by collaborating with George R.R. Martin and a sketch artist. It’s sort of like a police sketch artist getting a description of a criminal, but in this case it’s a weapon that they keep sketching until they capture the vision in Martin’s head.

I spoke with Chris Beasley, President of Valyrian Steel, and he talked about how great it’s been working with Martin and bringing his visions to life. He said that although the man can write, he’s not an artist, so the back and forth to create the things not seen on the show is an involved but interesting process.

As for the replicas based on show pieces, Chris actually gets his hands on the real props so he can see exactly how they look. He had Jaime Lannister’s actual sword on display in a case and said it’s going back as soon as he’s home from GenCon. Yes, he also has gotten his hands on some of the helmets, like the Hound’s Helm, which was so authentic he said it even smelled like sweat when he tried it on. (Ew, gross…cool!)

These props all look beautiful in pictures, but they are absolutely stunning in person with all the heft and materials you’d expect from the actual weapons. The only thing they don’t have is sharpened blades so if you’re planning on lopping off the hand (or other body part) of your enemy, then you’ll have to do the sharpening on your own.

In addition to weapons, they make other props and beautiful statues and busts based on the characters. Many of these products are available to order right now, but some are still in development. Expect to see those on their site over the coming months.